下载辰思小说免费APP
“TheysayyouestimatedthemtoMonsieurHochonatonehundredandfiftythousandfrancs，“saidFlore；“isthattrue？“
“Yes，“saidthepainter，withchildlikehonesty。
“Anddidyouintend，“saidFloretotheoldman，“togiveahundredandfiftythousandfrancstoyournephew？“
“Never，never！“criedJean-Jacques，onwhomFlorehadfixedhereye。
“Thereisonewaytosettleallthis，“saidthepainter，“andthatistoreturnthemtoyou，uncle。“
“No，no，keepthem，“saidtheoldman。
“Ishallsendthembacktoyou，“saidJoseph，woundedbytheoffensivesilenceofMaxandFlore。“Thereissomethinginmybrusheswhichwillmakemyfortune，withoutowinganythingtoanyone，evenanuncle。Myrespectstoyou，mademoiselle；good-day，monsieur——“
AndJosephcrossedthesquareinastateofirritationwhichartistscanimagine。TheentireHochonfamilywereinthesalon。WhentheysawJosephgesticulatingandtalkingtohimself，theyaskedhimwhatwasthematter。Thepainter，whowasasopenastheday，relatedbeforeBaruchandFrancoisthescenethathadjusttakenplace；andwhich，twohourslater，thankstothetwoyoungmen，wasthetalkofthewholetown，embroideredwithvariouscircumstancesthatweremoreorlessridiculous。SomepersonsinsistedthatthepainterwasmaltreatedbyMax；othersthathehadmisbehavedtoFlore，andthatMaxhadturnedhimoutofdoors。
“Whatachildyoursonis！“saidHochontoMadameBridau；“theboobyisthedupeofascenewhichtheyhavebeenkeepingbackforthelastdayofhisvisit。MaxandtheRabouilleusehaveknownthevalueofthosepicturesforthelasttwoweeks，——eversincehehadthefollytotellitbeforemygrandsons，whoneverrestedtilltheyhadblurteditouttoalltheworld。Yourartisthadbetterhavetakenhimselfoffwithouttakingleave。“
“Mysonhasdonerighttoreturnthepicturesiftheyarereallysovaluable，“saidAgathe。
“Iftheyareworth，ashesays，twohundredthousandfrancs，“saidoldHochon，“itwasfollytoputhimselfinthewayofbeingobligedtoreturnthem。Youmighthavehadthat，atleast，outoftheproperty；
whereas，asthingsaregoingnow，youwon’tgetanything。AndthisscenewithJosephisalmostareasonwhyyourbrothershouldrefusetoseeyouagain。“
CHAPTERXIII
Betweenmidnightandoneo’clock，theKnightsofIdlenessbegantheirgratuitousdistributionofcomestiblestothedogsofthetown。Thismemorableexpeditionwasnotovertillthreeinthemorning，thehouratwhichthesereprobateswenttosupatCognette’s。Athalf-pastfour，intheearlydawn，theycrepthome。JustasMaxturnedthecorneroftheruel’AvenierintotheGranderue，Fario，whostoodambushedinarecess，struckaknifeathisheart，drewouttheblade，andescapedbythemoattowardsVilatte，wipingthebladeofhisknifeonhishandkerchief。TheSpaniardwashedthehandkerchiefintheRiviereforcee，andreturnedquietlytohislodgingsatSaint-Paterne，wherehegotinbyawindowhehadleftopen，andwenttobed:later，hewasawakenedbyhisnewwatchman，whofoundhimfastasleep。
Ashefell，Maxutteredafearfulcrywhichnoonecouldmistake。
Lousteau-Prangin，sonofajudge，adistantrelationtothefamilyofthesub-delegate，andyoungGoddet，wholivedatthelowerendoftheGranderue，ranatfullspeedupthestreet，callingtoeachother，——
“Theyar
